Georgia Catterick aiming for time trial success at Junior World
Championships

September 18th 2015

Talented New Zealand junior Georgia Catterick is ready to
take on the world at her first World Championships in
Richmond, Virginia next week. 17-year-old Catterick from
Blenheim on New Zealand's South Island has split her 2015
season racing between New Zealand and in the Australian
National Road Series.

Catterick claimed the silver medal in the New Zealand Junior
Time Trial Championship in April. Before heading to Tasmania
for the Mersey Valley Tour for a top 10 finish against the
clock among a strong
field. Her strength against the clock makes her a name to
watch in the junior women's individual time trial on Monday,
September 21.

PelotonWatch: What made you take up cycling
and how old were you?

Georgia Catterick: I have been exposed to
bike racing my whole life and after watching my brother start
out I thought it looked like fun and I decided to try it out
at the age of 12 and then the competitiveness and the feeling
of speed got me hooked.

PW: Who has been your biggest influence?

GC: Growing up Sophie Williamson was an
inspiration person to me as she was so well as a junior and
then as a first year senior. It gave me belief that it wasn't
impossible to achieve greatly coming from New Zealand if you
put the hard work in.

PW: Biggest challenge you have had to
overcome?

GC: When I was 13 I developed Scoliosis (a 40
degree curve in my spine) I went from mixing it up with the
best in my age group then loosing minutes to the leaders, at
first this was a huge challenge for me until we found a local
Biokinetic specialist Emma Viening, who has helped me
strengthen my muscles to support the curve. This is an ongoing
problem for me but if I keep it maintained with daily
exercises it doesn't seem to bother me.

PW: Best memory or result you have achieved?

GC: After having a pretty challenging year in
2013 realising I had Scoliosis, I came back the next year and
gained my first National medal coming 2nd in the under 19
women's time trial. I was stoked to know that all the hours I
spent working on my Scoliosis was worth it and has motivated
me to train harder and smarter to get on the top step.

PW: You have raced a number of NRS events
this year how have you found it?

GC: After calming my nerves, the big peloton
is exciting, I find it fun trying to navigate my way up the
bunch. The pace is always fast and there seems to be someone
to watch or follow, there's not a dull moment. The NRS has
been challenging, every race I have been tested and the NRS
shows everyone's true leg power. The races I have done have
already made me a better more experienced rider.

PW: Finished as the second junior at the
Mersey Valley Tour and 12th overall including 10th in the time
trial how important a result was this for you?

GC: I'm stoked to come away with 12th, as I
have never experienced hills quite like it. The tour was
definitely an honest tour, there was no hiding, and you really
had to fight for it! Getting 10th in the time trial was a
confidence builder to know I could actually mix it up with the
best of them or not being to far away and being second junior
behind the worlds bronze medallist looks good for Worlds.

PW: How does the racing in Australia compare
with the racing in New Zealand?

GC: From racing in New Zealand I hadn't
experienced anything like it. We don't have the huge peloton
or enough riders that have been exposed to fast racing and
don't have as much tours on offer. Racing in Australia was a
big step up from any races I have done in New Zealand. The
pace was a lot faster and a lot more women's teams racing as a
team not individual riders racing with the same kit on. But
later as more NZ riders have made the trip across the ditch
the racing has been expanding and being more positive. We just
need more sponsors interested in developing Women's Teams like
the ones you see in the NRS.

PW: Named in the New Zealand team for the
Road World Championships. What does it mean to be selected to
represent your country?

GC: I am so overwhelmed to represent my
country at the World Champs. It has been my dream ever since I
started cycling. I want to race to my full potential and make
my country proud. The support I have had from my community has
been amazing. It makes me realise how lucky I am to live in
Blenheim.

PW: Just raced the Tour of the King Valley
happy unfortunately crashing out on stage three. Happy with
how your form is coming?

GC: Although my results don't really show
much of how I really went at King Valley. I am pretty happy
with how my form is coming on, I wasn't too far off the pace
of the leaders and felt pretty comfortable in the peloton. I
was gutted I couldn't test my legs on the hills in the last
stage but that's bike racing.

PW: You are strong against the clock is the
time trial your focus at the World Championships?

GC: Yes it will be my focus. It will be quite
different to other time trials I have ridden as it is on a
much more technical course, rather than out and back.

PW: What do you know of the course and do you
think it is going to suit you?

GC: I'm excited for the time trial, it's not
your typical out and back course. From what I have heard it's
more of a technical course and the road race will be exciting
with the cobbled climbs. Generally I prefer races, which have
longer hill sections, but this race will be challenging and
I'm looking forward to it.